#and the one that killed their crewmate and put crewmate's face onto his so that klingon belanna would like him more GET THE FUCK OUT

[trekfacility]

me at 11pm watching another creepy ass voyager episode about vidiians

[lutorao]

trust and hope

it's really odd what I'm going to tell you now but let's start

It's very clear how luffy trusts Zoro right?! because we have like thousand of moment of it but if I tell you that law is one of them who trust luffy most will you believe me ?!

let's start from whisky peak , do you remember the moment when some guy told luffy that Zoro was the reason why they were in this condition ? and what luffy did ? he fought with him

but in punk hazard when chopper told him that Law was murderer , he just ignored "Traffy " ?! nuh , but it wasn't some guy it was Chopper, his crewmate and what Luffy did ? nothing

don't get me wrong , maybe It can be assumed that the reason for Luffy's hesitation at Whiskey Peak was that, first of all, he had not known Zoro for a long time, in addition, you can say that the reason was also that these people shared food and Zoro thanked them in this way. It was the first and last time he suspected Zoro, you can't say that Luffy didn't know what Zoro was up to because of him. Let's go back a bit.

The case of Buggy, a seriously wounded man who is close to losing his mind doesn't hesitate for a second to hang onto Luffy's back with a cage, that should have been enough for Luffy, right? In addition, Luffy has animal instincts when it comes to people, but for some reason he blamed Zoro for his actions.

Let's continue with Law

Let's look at the situation from Law's side

A traumatized childhood, dead and murdered parents, a burned city, and the only person who trusted after this trauma was killed by Doflamingo, who was Corazon's brother.

so words "trust " and " hope " is not for law

And the only thing that motivated him during this time was revenge

revenge for the person he lost, Revenge for everything that happened

he spent 13 years preparing for his revenge and yes he was willing to do anything for this revenge, he ripped out the hearts of 100 pirates, became warlord, spent months on Punk Hazard, developed a plan, left the only people he trusted on Zou for their own safety, and yes he was really ready even to die

I hope you realize how important all this was to him right ?!

but what happened when it comes to luffy ?

Yes hope and Trust

And Doflamingo knew it clearly, maybe Luffy didn't realize how much it meant to law , but Doflamingo knew, it's not common for someone like Law to put that kind of trust in someone.

what about luffy ?

"Torao is a good guy " he was so happy wasn't he ?! just look at his face

Nami : noo luffy , we cant trust him

meanwhile luffy just ignored his crewmates words and "I'm in "

then Robin

luffy : " stop talking shits, he is a good guy " he just ignored everyone from his crew and when law switched their body luffy just laughed , he wasn't even mad , he just laughed. wtf luffy

let's make things clear straw hat

even it means go to hell together (please just look at him )

and yes now he was law's "bodyguard "

" just tell me which one Torao"

I won't talk about how he took care of Law all the way to Dressrosa, only Law? No, he didn't forget his sword either, just like law didn't forget Luffy's straw hat before

The funny thing is that even during the fight with Bellamy, Luffy's attention was on top, he didn't pay attention to his opponent, his whole concentration was on "how was Traffy?! "

Don't even dare, it all obvious in his face

And yes, he hasn't forgotten law's sword here either, his first order was "look after Law", he didn't ask anyone anything, just look after Law, protect him at any cost

if you ask me how their love language looks like I will say

"luffy : I'm glad you are okay , wanna eat? "

sharing his food

yes he shared his food with law

"law : let me die along with him I m begging you , please "

and at the end , I would like to mention the moment that makes these two people special to me along with everything else, first of all, the fact that Law was by Luffy's side when he needed it the most, when Luffy lost his brother the only member of his family( lets dont talk about Garp ) who had left, and lost his crew , his friends, was alone without his crew , and his life was in Law's hands. and yes, Law has seen Luffy at his worst, PTSD, despair, depression, and all together.

As for Law, this person who had no hope for anything in life and had no one but a crew, was left alone and everything he had been building and organizing for 13 years, all work, all hope, he left to Luffy. At this moment he was without his crew , and yes Luffy had seen him at his worst.

If that's not a sign of trust, hope and love, then I don't know what is

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Could you do a platonic crew with a reader who has a devilfruit that gives them similar abilities to deadpool (aka any injury regenerates)- but unlike deadpool they can die if they gain enough damage, but the reader doesn’t realise/accept this and constantly risks their life for the crew cause they think they’ll be okay?

Yandere Straw Hats x GN!Reader

1.2k words

Warning for descriptions of serious injuries

“Dammit, let me out!”

You yank on the infirmary door again despite knowing what a waste of time it was. With an aggravated huff, you turn around and shamble back to the bed. Your body was in agony from the wounds you took on today. Even though your devil fruit was working hard to fix it, this would take time to fully heal and stop hurting. It’s probably best to lay down for a bit, you just wish you could do so in your own bed.

They’re all over reacting, and they know it. You’re borderline immortal, and sure, you cut it a little close this time, but you were fine now! The battle was over, it’s not like you’re in any danger. 

You’re aware that your devil fruit can be unsettling at times, it’s unnatural to see someone recover from what would be a mortal wound for anyone else. Even Chopper couldn’t help but look disturbed when they found you after you threw yourself over a bomb. The explosion mostly damaged your legs, even taking one off entirely. 

The worst part though was the piece of shrapnel that shot up and cut open your abdomen. If it weren’t for you manually holding the wound shut, your organs would’ve all spilled out onto the ground.

Chopper had given you some painkillers to hold you over until you finished healing, but they can only do so much against something this severe. You roll onto your side to grab the water from the bedside table, but an intense pain shoots through you, making you drop it on the ground.

The glass shatters on impact, and you drop your head back onto your pillow with a groan. As you attempt to slip out of the bed again to pick up the broken glass, the door is thrown open and Chopper rushes in, “I heard something break! What hap- Get back in the bed!”

He ran over to you and shooed you back into lying down, “You’re too hurt to be moving around like this!” 

“I’m already mostly healed, it’s not like I’m going to die,” you grumbled, annoyed that you even have to state this. Everyone on board is well aware of how your powers work.

“YOU DON’T KNOW THAT!” Chopper stopped picking up glass and snapped his head towards you. Tears were pouring down his face, but he forced himself to speak through them, “Y-You won’t know what is going to be enough to kill you until it’s too late!”

Now you just felt bad. You care about your crew, and making them cry is not something you ever want to do. Even if you have done so multiple times. Awkwardly, you reach out to put your hand on his shoulder, “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Chopper aggressively rubs at his eyes and sniffles loudly, “You n-need to stop d-doing this! I hate it, everyone hates it! We’re all-”

“Chopper.”

Both of you snap your attention to the door, where Luffy is standing. His hat is obscuring his eyes, but you can feel them on you regardless. What’s worse, he’s openly frowning. That’s never a good sign, especially not after you’ve landed yourself back in the infirmary.

The ship’s doctor walked out without another word, closing the door behind him. Now it’s just you and Luffy. He’s eerily silent as he approaches your bed and takes a seat at the foot of it. You can already guess where this is going. He’s going to tell you to stop acting like you’re the only one who can protect everyone else and to let others help. 

You’ve had this conversation with him many times. It’s not like you were intentionally trying to go against his words, you wanted to heed his orders and be a good crewmate, really! It’s just that whenever you are in the heat of the moment, you instinctively put yourself in harm’s way. You could take damage better than anyone, what else were you supposed to do?

“You’re done.”

Your blood ran cold in your veins, “Excuse me?”

“I said you’re done, we’re not letting you do this again,” Luffy stated plainly, like it was the most obvious conclusion to come to. 

You attempt to sit up, but the pain that shoots through you brings that to a halt. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you kicking me out?” You ground out.

“I never said that. You’re just done fighting, that’s it,” Luffy finally lifted his head enough for you to make eye contact with him, and you wish he hadn’t. The look in his eyes is so intense that your argument died on your tongue. “Is that understood?”

“Wha… What else am I-”

Luffy’s hand clamped over your mouth, you see anger flicker across his face as he grinds his teeth together, “Don’t argue with me! I’m sick of you never listening! I’m your captain, if I say you’re done, then you’re done!” His voice raises in volume with every word until he’s practically screaming at you.

Tears drip onto your face as he looms above you, hiccupping as his own sorrow overcomes him. “Why do you keep doing this? Why do you act like you’re going to survive no matter what? You almost died!” He abruptly lets go of your mouth and collapses on top of your body, clutching onto you like you’ll disappear if he doesn’t. His hat tumbles off his head and onto the bed beside you.

His weight feels uncomfortable on your recovering injuries, but you don’t say anything. Lightly, you bring a hand up to his head to gently run your fingers through his hair. This action only makes him hold you closer as his cries get louder.

You’re torn. As much as you want to be upset about his previous words to you, it’s impossible to act on those emotions when he’s sobbing on top of you. Your near death clearly bothered him more than you had realized. Were you really in the wrong for acting the way you did? If what you were doing was so great, why was it hurting all your friends so badly?

“I’m sorry,” you croak out as your own eyes start to tear up.

Luffy doesn’t answer. You’re not sure he even heard you over his crying. You can faintly hear hushed words being spoken outside the infirmary door, but there’s nothing you can do right now to hear it better. Your crewmates are no doubt discussing what to do with you now that Luffy was seemingly dead set on not letting you onto a battlefield again.

Hopefully, this was all said because he lost control of his emotions, and when he calms down he’ll change his mind. That had to be the case. I mean really, it’s not like you could just sit back and do nothing while everyone else risked life and limb. You’ll be more careful from now on, for real this time. You’ll take their feelings into consideration before acting so recklessly. It won’t happen again.

Although… it’s unclear if that’s because you’re going to change your ways, or if they are going to make you whether you want to or not.

[somanyratsinthewalls]

Hello, congrats on your 300 followers! Could I ask for chocolate and daisy and/or fern, whatever suits you! 😊

I looooooove a prompt that makes Zoro feel! This was so good!

Pairing: Zoro x Afab!reader

WC: 1400

Prompt: ”Yes, I have feelings for you. Anyway. Moving on from that.” 

— — 

“SHIT- *crash*” Your body slams into the ground after your knife strike failed to meet anything. You raise your body up on your arms in the dirt. “Ow…” 

“Another loss, little one.” 

You felt the smooth, cold metal of a blade meet the nape of your neck. You roll your eyes. 

“That really hurt, dickhead… thought you’d said you’d train me without killing me.” You crawl out from underneath Zoro’s blade, rubbing your ribs. 

“No one is going to stop kicking your ass just because you asked nicely, y/n.” Zoro retorted at you as you picked yourself up off the ground. 

“Whatever, Zoro.” You sheathed your twin knives back in their holsters and walked back towards the ship. 

“What? Done already for the day? Can’t handle it?” Zoro goads you as you walk back to the Sunny. 

You ignore him as you retreat to the showers. 

— — 

After your shower you spend your evening reclining on the deck in a lounge chair, trying to avoid the painful spasms in your upper back. Nami approached you coming from the galley with two plates of food. 

“Y/n look, Sanji made girl dinner!” Nami exclaimed as she placed your plate in your lap. 

“Hrmmph..” You groan as you look down at your plate of Caesar salad and French Fries. 

“This is literally your favorite meal… what’s with the attitude?” Nami furrowed her brows and looked down at you from the lounge chair by your side. 

“Zoro kicked my ass today. Everything hurts.” You slur out as you shove a forkful of dressing soaked iceberg into your mouth. Nami sighs as she puts a handful of fries into her face. 

“When are you going to realize that he’s only being so hard on you because he’s desperately in love with you?” 

You sputter out around your heavy bite of salad. 

“Obviously that’s not true. Zoro doesn’t feel things like that… he’s… weird…” 

“Are you that oblivious? Yeah he’s an idiot, y/n, but he’s still a man.” Nami shoveled a pile of Caesar salad into her maw. 

“You.. you think he’s into me?” You put your fork down and contemplate Nami’s thoughts. 

“Duh. Any moron can see that. Unfortunately most of our crew has gone beyond moron status.” Nami spits out with a full mouth. 

You silently finish your meal and bring your dishes to the kitchen. After putting away your plates you retreat to your bedroom and let your exhausted body relax into your mattress. You drift off to sleep, mind full of your sparring partner. 

— — 

“I’m going to hit you and you’re going to brace your body.” Zoro sternly advises you, training you to harness your true power, possibly unlocking your haki potential. 

“Fine.” You grip your twin knives and wait for the blow to fall. You focus your mind and try to harden yourself. You feel Zoro’s body rush past you and your senses pick him up from your right side. Instinctively, you raise your blades and block his sword. 

“You were supposed to let me hit you!” Zoro huffs out at you, pressing his katana against your own weapons. 

“Fuck… You!…” You hiss as you press him off you with your blades and he slides in the dirt 5 yards away. You knew you weren’t ready to take his full strength, so you defended yourself. 

“You can’t win like this! You need to listen!” Zoro comes back at you after sliding his third sword into his mouth. He was annoyed at your defiance during training today, he wasn’t holding back any longer. 

Zoro hits you with a three-sword-onigiri and you were blown backwards into a tree with superficial cuts across your chest.  

Your head thumps against the tree before lolling forward. You catch your breath and stand up. You wobble with the first few steps towards your crewmate and adversary. He was beating you with an unnecessary force lately, and you were tired of it. 

“Zoro…” You spit a thick glob of spit onto the ground next to you as you approach the swordsman. 

“Clearly you’ve had enough. And we just started.  Pathetic.” Zoro crosses his arms and looks at you as you stumble towards him. “You’ve lost your form entirely. You need to focus on-"

“Zoro… do you have feelings for me?” You lift your gaze to meet his. 

Zoro pauses for a long time. 

“Yes, I have feelings for you. Anyway. Moving on from that, you let your shoulders drop twice and your blade turn out when I-“

“THAT’S IT?” You shout at him. “You confess you want to be with me and you want to continue training? There’s no way you can be that aloof!” 

“What else did you want me to do, y/n? I told you the truth, and I continued our lesson.” Zoro tells you nonchalantly. 

“You want me? You want me, Zoro? Then show me, god damnit.” You push your tired body into his chest. 

Zoro grabs you by your twitching, tired biceps. He looks down at you.

“Fine.” 

Zoro smashes his lips onto yours. It wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t intimate, it was fast and needy. Zoro wraps his arms around your small frame and pushes his lips further into your face. 

“Take your fucking pants off…” Zoro huffs out into your mouth while raking his calloused hands through your hair. You oblige and strip your leggings and panties down off your feet quickly. Zoro picks you up by your waist and lays you down on the sand of the beach you two were training on. He leans back and undoes the sash around his waist along with the leather bindings on his trousers. His swords hit the ground along with the one from his mouth he discarded long ago. Zoro’s cock springs forward out of his pants and your mouth waters at the sight. You lift your sports bra up over your breasts so they would be exposed for your swordsman. 

“My bratty girl, I’ll show you how to obey someone…” 

Zoro grips his thick cock in his hand and strokes it up and down your wet sex. 

“Zoro…” You whimper as he dips the hot head of his cock in and out of your entrance.

“Yeah little one, I know you want it. But how can you really take it?” Zoro pushes himself flush inside of you and you moan out at the feeling. 

“I can! I promise I can!” You whimper out as you grab and claw at Zoro’s hips. You were so full and were ready to receive the full pleasure of your swordsman. Zoro began thrusting in and out of you at an inhuman pace. He gripped your chin in his hand and forced you to look up at him.

“That’s my girl. She can always take it, huh?” Zoro teases you as he lifts his free hand to rub softly at your sensitive clit.  “Oh you’re so tight now, baby. Gonna cum? It’s okay mama, you can cum on me, it’s okay.” 

You squeal and spasm on Zoro’s cock as he coaxes you through your orgasm. He was talking you through your intense pleasure. You babble incoherently as Zoro presses his body further into yours. 

“I have so much cum for you, sweetness… I know you can take all of it…” Zoro grips your hips and looks down at you into your eyes. You gasp as you feel the beginning twitches of his cock releasing into your walls. Zoro’s stored load was so big that it spilled out of your hole while he was stilled buried deep within it. 

“Mmmph… Zoro….” You stroke your swordsman’s back as he finished emptying his large load inside of you. 

“”Hmmmrhppphh…. (First initial)… sleep…. Hngggnnphh…” Zoro cuddled your body close to his on the beach and started to snore.

“Oh no way, I’m leaving your ass here!”  You hopped up and swept the sand off your sticky body. You start to walk towards the ship alone before you turn back around and see a conked out moss head on the path leading to the boardwalk. 

“Oh you shit head…” You groan before you return back to the beach and pick up Zoro’s exhausted body and lifting it over your shoulder and returning to The Sunny. You tuck Zoro into your bed and strip yourself of your sandy, salty clothing. You slink into bed naked and pull Zoro into your chest. 

“You’re so lucky I love you.” You whisper as you kiss the swordsman’s head and hold him into your breast. 

“Goodnight, moss head.” You chuckle to yourself. 

xx Mo

[amuseoffyre]

Having some thoughts about Ed's final and destructive reaction to everything in episode 10 and seeing how the seeds of that destruction have been scattered from episode 3, all the way through.

We know he's bored and struggling with it and that Izzy has basically been keeping the Queen Anne running in his stead when the crew are questioning things. Ed never deals with those confrontations because he has Izzy as his buffer. Izzy says it himself - even when Ed is at his most unstable and erratic, Izzy has kept the crew in check for him. "I need you here", Ed says, because he relies on Izzy to keep things operating.

Then we move onto the way he tries to fit into a different station and class and Stede is there to back him up, but the minute Stede leaves him unaccompanied, things go wrong. Stede being absent from the table is even highlighted as we see Ed's anxiety about the cutlery rising. And more importantly, Ed isn't present when Stede does demolish the aristocrats. He comes in to find the ship burning and Stede laughing and has no idea how he did it. Stede used the weapons of that world and wrecked them, which defininitely plants the seeds that Stede is more part of that world that Ed can never understand.

And when things begin to turn sour, it's at the hand of someone he trusts and considers a friend. Calico Jack takes his surprise at the betrayal as a joke, laughing in his face, and telling him "we're all just at various stages of fucking each other over".

This is the important thing - Ed explicitly put his trust and reliance on three people in the course of the show. He trusted in Izzy to watch his back, both pre-show-canon and after he returns from the Academy and is in a spiral of depression. He trusted Stede to be beside him because he said they were friends. He trusted Jack, because why wouldn't you trust the crewmate who saved your life?

Jack is the first one to knock that certainty sideways. Ed seems genuinely shocked and wounded by the fact he's been double-crossed and tricked by someone he considered a friend. At this point, he doesn't see this fully as Izzy's betrayal, because Izzy was targeting Stede and not Ed.

Immediately, he goes back to Stede, the person who said he was his friend. He even gets arrested - under threat of death - and signs his life away for this friend. Despite the old school chum of his friend saying "he's from my world, not yours", Stede is still there with him. And then, when he thinks he's got this all sorted out, when he's put his heart out on his sleeve, he gets to the dock and someone else has betrayed him and left him on his own again. He's from that world, he remembers. Not yours. We're just not those kind of people.

So he returns to the ship alone and asks for the person who he knows he can rely on, the person who has stood by him for years and who he can trust implicitly. And at first, Izzy does as he's always done: he keeps Ed's real condition from the crew. But there's a secondary motive for Izzy too: he always said he was honoured to work for the Legendary Blackbeard. He's there for the image that has kept them all alive this long and even when he sends Lucius in, he warns him he's not allowed to talk about what he sees "on pain of death".

But Lucius does what Lucius does and encourages Ed to come out, express himself and share his feelings and that is when Izzy's fraying nerves shred to bits. And he has no idea of exactly how catastrophic the repercussions will be when he takes that last shaky support Ed has depended on and kicks it out from under him.

"You said above all else is loyalty to my Captain" has become "I should have let the English kill you."

What he is, what he is allowing himself to be, is not enough. It wasn't enough to stop Jack. It wasn't enough to stop Stede. And now Izzy, the one person who had been there beside him for years, is pleased to see him show anger and violence, tells him "Edward better watch his fucking step".

Every person he has counted on and trusted and been vulnerable with has let him down in rapid succession. The only people left who have seen him that way are the crew and the "Come on Eddie, give us another song" was the death blow.

They're cheering him now. They're clapping and saying his name and telling him how cool and brilliant he is, but he's learned a lesson. He's learned it from the people who treated him like a rockstar and then turned on him and laughed in his face only hours later. He's learned it from the people he considered his friends and most trusted allies.

Any one of them might turn on him. Any one of them might turn him into a mockery and a joke and humiliate him. Any one of them might trick him the way Jack did. Any one of them might betray him the way Stede did. Any one of them might threaten him the way Izzy did.

And so, the Kraken rises. The part of himself that kills before it can be killed. That hurts others before it can be hurt. That will close itself from everyone and be so terrible and monstrous, no one will ever get close enough to hurt him again.

[justsome-di]

The Fairest of All Stars: Chapter 4

Andy didn’t mean to become a pirate captain, but after killing the captain of her ship, she finds herself thrust into the role. Years after the incident, she is fierce and feared and recovering from a tropical fever that wiped out half her crew.

Just as they’re about to dock, they find an injured siren left behind by her choir. Andy, drawn to her, pulls her onto the ship and decides to keep her there until she recovers. But with the Navy hunting for both pirates and sirens, Andy has just made her ship an even bigger target for an iniquitous captain looking for revenge.

Warning for suicidal thoughts and violence. Will contain mature scenes.

Also available for free on Patreon (paid members are five installments ahead and will get exclusive bonus stories) and on AO3. If you enjoy reading Stars please consider leaving a comment on AO3, Patreon, or reblogging these chapters! Follow for more updates!

Andy choked on the taste of her father’s tobacco, coughing herself awake as it seized her chest. She felt his fingers in her hair. He pulled it off her forehead and laid a cold cloth in its place. His hands, like always, were calloused and dry. They scraped against her skin—not painfully, just hard enough that she could remember the sensation after he moved his hand away.

When Andy opened her eyes, her father disappeared. It was Joseph next to her. Tending to her.

Her cabin was dim. It was still night. Few lights were lit. And she remembered how she put herself in such a sorry state. The cold water, the frigid rocks she had knelt on. Her hands burned from pulling fishing net off scales. Her body was chilled all the way through still.

Andy’s father told her stories of sirens. Her mother didn’t approve of them. She said that sirens were nothing but monsters made up by drunk, bored sailors and that the British Navy was only pretending to have them to boost their own prestige. It was just something to hold over the colonies’ heads. Something to scare them. Until she saw one with her own eyes, she wouldn’t believe that they were real.

But Andy’s father would let her sit up with him, late at night. He would tell her the stories just as his crewmates told them, blowing smoke up to the ceiling from his pipe.

“He said his grandfather almost caught one. He said he swept one up on his boat by accident, but he let her go.”

“Aren’t you supposed to sell sirens?”

“You don’t have to. He could have gotten a pretty penny for her, but he got something better. He got to marvel at this thing, alone. He got to go home and be the only man in his village to have seen a siren. It was like he kept her for himself. And that was worth more than any money, Andrea.”

“Was she pretty?”

“Oh, she was as beautiful as his mother, his wife, and his daughter combined.”

Her father drew crude sketches for her. The top half of the creatures were always women, and the bottoms were always fish. Their scales were so beautiful, they reflected light like a rainbow, he said. And their faces were always the most well-sculpted any man had ever seen.

In his drawings, their hair flowed long behind them. Their arms were long. Their breasts bare. At the time, it had made Andy’s stomach flutter. She traced the sketches with her fingers as her father went on.

“But you shouldn’t get close to one. Not if you can help it.”

“Why not?”

“They can be temperamental things. For every man that gets to walk away, another three get pulled into the water.”

“What happens to them?”

“Well, we don’t know. They can’t come back up and tell us, can they? I was told the sirens eat them.”

“But then how do people sell them to the British? People have caught them, haven’t they?”

“They get lucky. Or they get cruel.”

If only her father could have watched her pull a siren out of the middle of the ocean. It would have been a grand story to tell him. She would have told it to him just like he told his stories, blowing out smoke from between her lips and holding out her hands to show just how big the siren was.

Her tail was this long. Her shoulders this wide. Her hands this flat.

Joseph laid his hand over Andy’s cheek. When she opened her eyes again, not realizing they had fluttered shut, she could barely see him sitting at her side.

Her bones felt like they had shattered inside her. If she moved even an inch, pain shot through every joint and limb.

Joseph fell into the shadows around them. He slipped in and out of her vision as yellow light swung back and forth.

There was a lantern—a spot of light—hanging from the ceiling that seemed to be a mile away. At the end of the long stretch of room was a fainting couch stolen from some fancy naval captain. It was old now. The cushions had lost volume. Besides that, it took up an obnoxious amount of space. But it was one of Andy’s favorite trophies, so she kept it. There was little else to do with it, anyway.

Andy’s eyes strained to focus on it. There was a lump on top of the couch.

She squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them, her eyes were covered in just a little less tears and grime. The edges of her vision were a little less blurred. The couch came into focus.

The siren was wrapped up in a ratty blanket. She was unconscious and gagged with a rag between her teeth, tied up behind her head.

Andy tried holding her hand toward her. Her arm fell out of her bed, and she groaned in pain. One finger uncurled in the direction of the siren as every nerve inside her seized and lit themselves on fire.

Joseph took her wrist and tucked her arm back by her side.

“Don’t move,” he whispered. “You’ve relapsed.”

Joseph owned a dirty, old Gladstone. The leather was discolored and cracked so badly that flakes of leather were starting to fall off every time he opened and shut it. He dug into it now to pull out jars of salve.

He scooped a generous amount into his hand and began rubbing it into Andy’s bare shoulders. Joseph worked it into her skin and then moved down to her elbows, then her wrists, then her hands. The smell choked Andy. It reminded her of being so ill only weeks ago, laid up in bed all greased up and unable to do so much as blink without being in excruciating pain. She had been covered in the salve for nights, and she had no memory of whether it helped or not.

He was loyal, Andy had to hand it to him. During her first bout of illness, he always seemed to be by her side. If she ever woke up to him gone, she didn’t have to wait long before he showed up.

Joseph bled her regularly—which she despised but could not complain much about—and took her temperature so often that Andy’s tongue felt sore from his thermometer. He would talk to her, tell her that he needed to find more medical supplies when they docked. There was only so much he could get his hands on anymore, but with some extra money, he hinted at Andy, he would be able to get some decent stock.

Andy had wheezed out a laugh. She told him that if she survived, he could have a larger share of their money. There wasn’t much, but he could buy whatever an extra coin could get him.

Joseph pulled Andy’s bed sheets from her. He began working on her ankles and moved up her legs until he reached her hips. His calloused hands massaged around her waist and swept briefly around her crotch. To be a gentleman, still, surely.

His hands were warm. The salve was warm, too, but it tangled up and hardened in her hair.

“Stay put,” Joseph told her, screwing the lid back on the salve. “If you move, you’ll only make yourself more ill.”

He covered her with her bed sheets. He had such a good bedside manner. It made Andy sick. What a shit pirate. She had only brought him on board so he could dig bullets out of them. Not to be tender. Andy almost hated it.

Joseph stood and moved to the siren’s side. Andy followed him with her eyes only. He had a funny way of walking, she thought, bemused. Old joints tightened up in the cold, and his gait was similar to that of a toddler.

The siren, surely, wasn’t dead. If she were, the crew wouldn’t have dumped her in Andy’s cabin. They would have dumped her overboard before she began to decay. The less trouble and cargo, the better.

Unless Tobi was cooking up some scheme for her corpse. The body could be given to the Navy. Just in case they ran into trouble. The Navy would accept sirens dead or alive, they were always so desperate for something. The awards were very handsome, and every year merchants and fishermen packed extra fishing nets and ropes and claimed themselves perfectly capable of snagging a siren.

But there were few confirmed cases of anyone actually selling one. There were maybe one or two caught every half-century. A handful of hoaxes cropped up here and there—fake corpses made of paper and clay, mutilated carp combined with hair from barbers.

In a better state of mind, Andy would be able to think of all of this and come to the conclusion that she had a rare treasure on her ship.

But her eyes were slipping shut, and her brain seemed to be boiling in her skull. What she really thought in that moment was that she wasn’t going to give that siren over to the Navy. No matter the price. No matter any pardon or immunity it could give her as a pirate in an emergency.

“Don’t give her up,” she tried saying, but her voice was rough and weak. She could barely hear herself, and her throat was tearing itself to shreds.

“What was that, captain?”

Pinkey knelt in front of her with her only briefly wondering how he materialized out of thin air. He leaned in close to her, his ear close to her lips.

“Don’t give her up,” Andy repeated.

“The siren?” Pinkey asked. “Don’t worry, sir, I’m guarding her with my own life. If anyone wants her, they’ll have to get through me. And it’s not all that easy to get through me—you know that.”

It was maybe the only time Andy appreciated hearing such a thing from her crew. Such cockiness. Pinkey wasn’t so bad. Whatever kinship he felt for the siren, Andy would exploit it.

Because she, too, wouldn’t let anyone get to that siren. That beautiful monster lying in the same room as her��Andy would fight to keep her by her side.

[whumperfultime]

June of Doom Day 5

@juneofdoom

Prompts: "It's not as bad as it looks." | Bite | Swelling | Disfiguration

Contains: Aftermath of animal attack, bite wound, medical treatment, minor descriptions of injuries/blood, and platonic caretaking.

Kalei finds her crewmates in the medbay trying to treat an injury without her knowing.

~

“Are you kidding me…we cannot possibly be out of disinfectant. We did a medicine run like, two weeks ago.”

“Look, just…pour some hot water on it or something. That’s better than nothing.”

Kalei paused at the end of the corridor and turned to listen more closely. There were more hushed voices and footsteps coming from the medbay, then the sound of the sink turning on.

And a hiss of pain.

She was in the doorway before her crewmates knew it, both of their backs turned as they stood side by side at the sink. The running water had muffled her footsteps. “What’s going on in here?”

Matago and Dace both jumped, whirling around to face her. Water splashed onto the floor, dripping from Dace’s left forearm, which sported a mess of red and bloody skin.

Kalei’s eyes widened. “What the fuck happened?” she demanded, bolting across the room to get a better look at the wound.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Dace told her.

“What happened?”

Dace sighed. “Mat and I went out to case the security like you said. Guard almost spotted us so we hid in the bushes. There, uh…there might have been an angry lizard living in that bush that didn’t take kindly to us.”

Kalei could see the bite marks now, made by small teeth from a narrow snout. Even if the creature was small, its fangs certainly pierced deep. The skin around the wound was swollen and uncomfortably warm to the touch. “We should be getting you to a hospital right now, you idiot,” she snapped. “That thing was probably venomous.”

Matago waved her off. “Nah, I remember learning about this region during wilderness survival training. That species is technically venomous, but it’s not enough to kill someone. More like a bee sting.”

“A very, very big bee sting,” Dace muttered through clenched teeth.

“It was a long walk back to the ship. If he were going to keel over, he would have done it by now.” Matago switched off the sink. “We were hoping to get it bandaged up before you got back onboard.”

Kalei let out a frustrated sigh. Maybe she was overreacting, but how could she not get angry at her own crewmates trying to hide injuries from her? “Just sit down and let me handle it.”

Neither of them protested. Dace sat down on the bed, cradling his forearm against his torso, while Matago stepped back to give them more room. “We’re out of disinfectant, by the way,” Matago mumbled.

Kalei glared at him, opening the cabinet above the sink and removing the bottle from inside. “Wrong. I put it in the same place I always do.”

“Look, we just narrowly escaped an angry jungle lizard, I’m not thinking straight.”

Idiots. Both of them. Kalei forced herself not to respond to Matago’s exaggeration and turned her attention back to Dace. “And why exactly were you two so eager to hide this from me?”

“Because you’ve already been busy planning the job. You didn’t need to worry about something like this.” Dace watched as she poured a small amount of disinfectant onto a cotton swab. “It’s not that big of a deal. Plus the heat and humidity always make you more stressed to begin with-fuck, that stings!”

“Not as much as an infection would.” Still, Kalei tried to rein her frustration in and stopped pressing down so hard. “It doesn’t matter how stressed I am. If one of my crewmates is hurt, I want to know about it. Any secret, no matter how dumb, can get you killed.”

“It’s not that serious.”

“Oh, really? What if we were moving in on the compound when you collapsed from fever? Or if Mat accidentally misidentified whatever species bit you and we missed our chance to take you to a hospital?”

“Okay, okay, point taken.” Dace watched her return the bottle to the cabinet and pull out a roll of gauze. “We just didn’t want to worry you.”

Kalei took a few deep breaths, carefully winding the gauze around Dace’s forearm. He wasn’t wrong – she was more stressed since they landed here. It wasn’t a region they hadn’t worked before, with overgrown jungle terrain in every direction. Not to mention the countless species in the area that were venomous or otherwise dangerous. All she wanted to do was get in, get the goods they were after, and get the fuck back home.

“I suppose I can appreciate the concern. I just don’t think sneaking around each other helps. Especially with the work we do.” She grabbed a few pieces of tape to keep the bandage secure. “I trust you, you trust me, we keep each other alive and well. Now, are there any other injuries I should know about?”

The corners of Dace’s lips quirked into a small smile. “Well, it did kind of hurt my feelings when you called me an idiot-”

“Get out.” He and Matago were unable to stop themselves from snickering. “Back to your cabins while I make dinner. And keep your mouths shut before I decide to lock you in there forever.”

She waited until they were both out of the medbay before she let herself laugh, too.

[actuallycassidyiambusy]

I loved your post with your BuggyxLuffy headcanons, and I was curious what your headcanons are for your versions of the two as individuals 👉👈

Love the way you draw them btw!

I'm glad you asked. *Cracks knuckles"

Luffy:

100% learns swear words as he goes. He'll hear them being used and sometimes use them in the wrong context.

His eyes are only dark when he's angry. Any other time they resemble honey.

His favorite place to be touched is his face. It makes him feel safe.

He has a Brazilian accent that gets thicker the angrier or more worked up he becomes.

He will switch into Portuguese randomly. Mainly when he's trying to piss Buggy or anyone else off.

INFO DUMPS LIKE A MF.

He's super shy about his hair. His beautiful curls have been made fun of in the past.

He gets offended when someone who isn't him insults Buggy. He takes it personally.

Describes alcohol as spicy juice.

Sunsets are one of his favorite things to look at.

He will bring random ass bugs onto the Big Top and hide them to scare Buggy. The bigger the better.

Luffy loves to prank the other crew members too. He makes it a personal mission to be an absolute menace while he's on Buggy's ship. He'll hide in cupboards, switch out sugar with salt, stretch his hands to pants a crewmate, etc.

Luffy can't play cards for shit, but he can spot a players tell from a mile away. He helps Buggy cheat🤫

He wants to learn how to cook.

The very last level of the Big Top is Luffy's favorite place to be alone. The supply room has four large windows that reveal all the sea life around him.

Luffy likes to crossdress. Once he becomes accustomed to physical desire, he likes to bring it out in Buggy by wearing pretty clothes. Other times, he does it for himself to boost his confidence when he feels low.

Luffy is an exhibitionist. He's always lived for thrills and that is a major one for him.

He can be very sensitive at times, and when he doesn't know how to cope with confusing feelings, he gets aggressive.

He secretly enjoys reading.

Buggy:

Isn't afraid to kill a crew member or bystander for the smallest inconvenience.

He works out and tends do do most of his workouts on deck.

Hates docking anywhere that doesn't have a bar.

His favorite whiskey is Litchfield Cinnamon Bourbon and he keeps a stash in his office.

Despite what people may think first glance, Buggy keeps himself clean. He's extremely vain and doesn't like to smell bad.

He enjoys the taste of blood.

If anyone besides Luffy pops off at him or puts their hands on him, they won't live.

He won't say it out loud, but Cabaji and Mohji are like brothers to Buggy.

Despite being extremely egotistical, he doesn't mind being degraded in moments of intimacy.

If he feels like he's losing control of himself, he'll hide away in his office so he doesn't unintentionally hurt someone.

He's not human.

Buggy loves to gamble. He will bring Luffy along with him because Luffy can read people better than Buggy can.

Buggy is a skilled painter.

His favorite place to be touched are his arms or his chest. He secretly likes to be felt up in those areas.

He lives for shock value and will scare the shit out of anyone anywhere.

He absolutely fucking hates bugs and will plot ways to get back at Luffy for bringing them into his ship.

The crossbones on his face is a tattoo.

He's secretly impressed if someone stands up to him, but he'll still knock them on their ass.

He takes on a lot of responsibility on his ship because he wants things done right.

If anyone puts their hands on Luffy, it's death on sight.

[the-bar-sinister]

Bleeding, Broken, Mended (91671 words) by VickytheSnake, thesavagesabretooth Chapters: 17/17

Summary: Law is certain that he was 'rescued' just so Doflamingo could kill him himself, but Doffy has other plans. As far as he's concerned, Law's decade-long quest for revenge was nothing more than a sad misunderstanding. He wants to remind Law how things used to be. He wants to find a way to bring Law back into the fold-- back to him-- forever.

Final Chapter Author's note: Moving on from this fic is a little sad for me, even though I'm glad that it's completed. It's one of the 'easiest' things I've ever written– it flowed very naturally without ever getting really stuck, and it gave me a warm feeling to write, every time. 

I know it's an unusual tone for Doflamingo x Law fic, but I really hope you enjoyed it even half as much as I did. It was important to me just to be able to wallow in them romantically for a while. Thanks for coming on the journey with me.

We'll see more of Law and Doffy— and Law's next encounter with Luffy– when we hit Deicide: Red Shift.

catch up here

-

They had missed dinner— of course they had missed dinner— but there were plates put aside for them in the galley, and Baby 5 and Komurasaki were still there finishing the after dinner cleaning when they got there.

Law and Doflamingo had missed dinner together. There was little hope that the family didn't very much guess what that meant.

"They were clearly fuckin'." Baby 5 said as she washed the last of the big pots "I mean, that's obvious, right? At this point I know it wasn't killin' one another behind everyone's backs. Not with your cap finally bein' Corazon, an' all." 

Doffy paused as they came in the doorway with the biggest shit eating grin on his face and put his hand over Law's mouth, listening in.

"No, killing one another seems very unlikely at this point," Komurasaki agreed. "The story the captain told did seem like a tragic romance that would end such a way— but 'the young master' seems to have managed a last minute reversal of fortune."

Law was sputtering, muffled entirely by Doflamingo's massive hand. Of course they were gossiping. Baby 5 was a damned incorrigible gossip and Komurasaki was an absolute fiend for drama and interesting trouble.

He should have expected this. He should have known. But it still it was embarrassing to fucking walk in in.

"He's good at that, ya know," Baby 5 was saying, he saw her bump Komurasaki's shoulder with her own. "Nothing in the world is impossible for Doflamingo or his family. Even convincing a moron like Corazon that they don't gotta kill one another in a torrid fuckin' romance." 

"I do agree with the sentiment, but I'd appreciate if you wouldn't call him a moron," Komurasaki chuckled, bumping her back.

"Evening, ladies," Doffy purred, finally releasing his hold on Law's face.

"Aww, but I've been calling him a moron for a—-" Baby 5 suddenly froze, dropping the pot and squeaking out in utter surprise. "Young masterrrr???"

Law snorted. "And the moron. Evening to you too, Baby 5. Hey 'Saki. Sounds like you two were having a good conversation." 

"Baby 5 is quite the talented conversational partner," Komurasaki agreed, turning around to smile in his direction. She bent down and scooped up the pot that Baby 5 had dropped, checking it over for dents. "I hope you were having a pleasant evening as well."

Doffy was half doubled over, giggling.

"Corazon!!??" Baby 5 had finally turned to see the both of them, wringing her hands together with a smile that threatened to drop her cigarette onto her askew apron. "Hahahh…w-well, you know. I wanna impres— I mean, entertain our new crewmate is all!"

Law raised his eyebrow with a snort, before he gave them both a lazy grin. "You mean she's a notorious gossip , Saki. But that's a talent in its own way. Good to see you're getting along, even if it's to gossip about my love life." 

"I'm afraid it was a common topic of discussion at dinner, captain," Komurasaki nodded.

Doffy caught his breath and leaned on the table. "Of course it was. Did anything else get talked about, or just that?"

He pulled out a chair for Law with his strings as he sat down in the one beside it.

Law took a seat with a grumble, flushing brilliantly. "Fucking gossipy ass Donquixote family." 

Still, that casual, informal air…

He'd missed it. Sure, the Heart Pirates had it, but there was always that barrier. They weren't as chaotic and unfettered as the Donquixotes were. He missed the Heart Pirates still— his heart panging for a moment over them— but it was good that at least there was this familiar comfort to cling to.

Baby 5 tapped her chin as she bustled over to bow her head to Doflamingo. "Can I get you anything else? Drink? More food? Back rub? Anything you like, young master! There was a lotta talk. Lots about that. A bit about Uta's concert. S-some other stuff." 

"A drink, please, Baby," Doffy purred, scooting his chair closer to Law's. "Did the navigators bring up the marine situation at all?"

"Bepo did mention it," Komurasaki nodded. "It sounds like we're going to see some fighting tomorrow."

Baby 5 grinned brightly at him before she scurried to pour him a drink, "I'm so excited sir. I haven't been able to kill anyone for days, and I'm starting to feel itchy about it."

Law poked at his food before he called out. "A drink for me too, thanks Baby. heh…" He closed his eyes. "Honestly? I'm really excited to take out a few marines too. Didn't get a proper fight with Blackbeard…the bastard." 

Doffy patted Law on the back and squeezed his shoulder. "Not yet. We'll have a chat with ol' Croc about that. I'm getting really tired of seeing that bastard in the papers. And now the family's got a standing grudge with him."

Baby 5 grinned widely "I wanna blow his sniper's head off from a couple of miles away. You know. To prove I'm better."

Law leaned into his touch. "Heh, yeah. You know that sounds good to me. We'll rally Cross Guild and take our grudge to the bastard to finally take him out when the time's right." 

"Damn right," Doffy growled. "And we'll pay him back in blood. That'll be a real fight. Tomorrow's just a bit of exercise."

Doflamingo's leg rested against Law's under the table. He'd always known how physical Doffy could be— now it was back in full force and certainly not letting up any time soon.

He sighed good naturedly, leaning his leg back against Doflamingo's as he poked at his meal.

Baby came back with two drinks, placing them down in front of each of them before she chirped "I wanna see how Saki fights!" 

"I'm sure I have a lot of people to impress," Komurasaki said. "You included. The captain— Corazon— hasn't even seen me fight yet."

"What a shame," Doffy purred, rubbing his knee on Law's. "Let's consider it a chance for everybody to show off."

A few minutes of idle chatter later, Komurasaki and Baby 5 had finished up the cleaning and headed out for a smoke, leaving Law and Doffy to finish dinner and their bottle of wine together. Law raised his filled glass to Doffy, a subtle smile on his face. It was nice, just the two of them in the aftermath of a chaotic reunion. Sharing a drink, some talk of things to come.

It made him feel right at home. For the first time in a long time. 

Doffy smiled widely and clinked his glass against Law's, his large body so close he was half on top of him even though they were in separate chairs. "Cheers, Corazon. To a fresh start."

-

On deck, Komurasaki leaned over the railing, her pale green hair flowing out behind her like the sea below.

Baby 5 leaned on her hand, propped up against the railing as the smoke curled from her cigarette to the sky above. The sea was beautiful, sure— but she couldn't tear her eyes from the way Komurasaki's hair drifted in the wind. It was just as beautiful, if not more so; absolutely more so. So much had happened in the last day, but her private wish had come true. Law was their Corazon, her close and beloved childhood friend wouldn't leave them again, especially now that they were the only two from their cluster who were left. He'd be here with them— screwing Doffy, playing around with the gang's jokes and chaos, and staying close. Just like she'd wished.

His crew; the navigator Bepo and Komurasaki, the woman as beautiful and deadly as the sea, were gonna stay with them. As part of the family. Part of the gang, no longer held at arm's length as guests or possible enemies.

They had time now, time to get to know one another. She chewed the end of her cigarette with a subtle flush.

"Looks like things with the young master and Corazon have really settled, huh? Means you guys are officially part of the gang officially one of us, without the fear of Corazon backin' out at the last second." 

"So it seems," Komurasaki chuckled beautifully, still looking out to sea. "I'm far from displeased."

She turned and smiled at Baby 5 with that strange, distant look of hers. "Could I share one of your cigarettes?"

Baby 5 grabbed her pack immediately, pulling a cigarette out with a few soft taps and offering it to her with a bob of her head. "Course ya can, here— I'll light it off mine, Saki." 

She took the offered cigarette and cocked her head with a little smile. "Show me how that's done."

Baby 5 chuckled. "Alright, put it between your lips, and take short little puffs off it, first of all "

She loved smoking, her earliest vice since the day she bummed one off of Dia and a calming habit that often stymied her nervous nature. That was to say nothing about the social aspect— the moments on the deck with another as you shared a cigarette and talked. 

Komurasaki put the cigarette between her soft lips, holding it there as was becoming increasingly common. She had refined features, and deep eyes, but with the cigarette in her mouth, she looked more sharp— more rebellious. 

The sharp, rebellious Komurasaki��she belonged with the Donquixote family. She had the right edge to her, the right spirit. Baby 5 was like a moth to the flame as she leaned in closer and placed the tip of her cigarette against Komurasaki's without breaking eye contact.

The flame started to pass, flaring in time with Saki's intakes of breath. 

Komurasaki did it exactly right, inhaling in sharp little puffs until the tip of her own cigarette was lit, her face quite close to Baby 5's. She felt a hand brush her hip.

Her face flushed as the flame lit up, the flickering embers casting light in both their eyes as they leaned close. She didn't flinch away from the hand, even with her flustered surprise. Instead, she raised her own hand to rest against the curve of Komurasaki's side.

"See, nice and easy. Best way to light a cigarette."

"I can see why you'd say so," Komurasaki agreed, taking a long puff and turning her head to blow the smoke out to sea, before bringing her gaze back to catch Baby 5's. All the while her hand lingered on her hip. "I appreciate your wisdom. And your company."

Baby 5 smiled, warmth blooming through her at the complement. Wisdom, and company. She had never really been called wise and so many people didn't care as much about her company as they cared about what she could do for them.

She liked Komurasaki's company a lot. The woman, with all her subtle mysteries and her reserved air, was a powder keg of rebellion and excitement. Beautiful, deadly, fascinating, kind…

Baby 5 blew her smoke towards the sea as well, her thumb brushing against Komurasaki's side as she chuckled. "You can have my company whenever you want it, Saki. Happen to really like yours too. Don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you.." 

"The same for myself in regards to you, Baby 5," she chuckled softly, shifting so that they stood shoulder to shoulder. "The winds and tides have brought me to a strange place since I cast myself off to them. I'll be happy for the opportunity to get to know you better. You can teach me about the world out here."

Baby 5 rested against her with a tilt of her head. "The island of Wano's real different from everything I'd ever known, Saki. The world you talk about ain't anything like the places I've lived…the North Blue, Dressrosa…"

Her hand shook a little as she dared to loop it around behind Komurasaki's back, holding her as they smoked against the railing. "You can count on me…I'll make sure to teach ya everything I can about the world, or anythin' you want." 

Komurasaki leaned her cheek against Baby 5's as they stood together on the deck of the ship. She didn't say 'I need your help', she didn't echo that she'd be counting on her. She just said, "Thanks."

And the way she smiled, Baby 5 knew that she meant it.

Baby 5's heart melted more than a heart of bullets and blades ever should. She smiled brightly around her cigarette and looked out on the infinite sea as she exhaled curling smoke into the night air.

"Any time, Saki-baby." 

-

Bepo cuddled half on top of Law in the cot in their cabin after the work was done for the evening. He was a little surprised Law was there, and not dragged off by Doflamingo, but he wasn't complaining.

Law lay against him, arm draped over his furry chest and face nuzzled into his side. He looked comfortable, relaxed…and above all, happy. 

Bepo nuzzled him and snuffled his hair. He couldn't help but chuckle. "This is going to take some getting used to. You smell like Doflamingo."

Law sputtered against him. "Yeah he has a way of rubbing his fuckin' stink on people," he muttered, glancing up at him with a grin. "I'm sure we'll both get used to it pretty fast." 

"I'm sure," Bepo chuckled again. He gently thumped the top of Law's head with his chin. "We can get used to pretty much anything. Even if this isn't what I expected at the beginning of the year."

It reminded Bepo of the way they had met— unexpected and tumultuous, all snap decisions and 'I guess this is what we're doing now. Bepo had never regretted it, not even a little bit.

"You know me better than that, Bepo. Never expect anything at the start of the year. It ain't ever going to go according to plan. I'm Dr. Impulsive Decisions, remember?" 

"Oh trust me," he huffed, grumbling and pulling him closer. "I know. And I'm not complaining. I think this is the happiest I've ever seen you. So. I'm happy."

Law flushed, looking up at him with his chins till nestled in his fur. "It is huh? I was wonderin'. I'm glad it makes you happy, Bepo. I'm glad you're gonna come with me on this." 

"On any and every adventure, captain. No matter where it takes us, or who we turn out to be."

Law kissed his cheek, half crawling on top of him to hug him tighter. "Damn right, Bepo. You've always been precious to me, hope you know that."

Bepo rumbled embarrassedly in his chest as he remembered the other night, when Law had called him his 'greatest treasure. 

"I know it. Without any doubt, captain. And you're just as precious to me."

Heart Pirates, Donquixote Pirates, or even on their own. Bepo decided it really didn't matter to him, as long as Law let him come along. And he trusted that now he always would.

-

The encounter with the marines was exactly like Doflamingo said it would be— less of a fight, and more like exercise. It was a bloodbath. Thanks to Violet, they came into it knowing all of the enemy's positions, numbers and major weapons, and it was used to full advantage.

They swept in like a goddamned tidal wave. For all their quirks and their ridiculous bullshit— the Donquixote Family were a terror in battle. A force of nature that plowed down anything in their way in a cackling bloodbath of violence anderror.

Law and his crew moved among them,crashing through a port fortification with his power in full effect. Cannonballs and bombs meant for them wound up back in the thick of bunker encampments, detonating and shredding the marines inside. Limbs flew, replaced with explosives, and hearts were torn from their chests as they fought deeper into the island.

It felt good— damned good— to be fighting with them instead of against them. Pieces of the landscape warped under Giolla's power, becoming strange and twisted art, as men fell to the cackling Derringer and his sharpened heels. Baby 5 moved like a dance of death, shifting and twisting her form into all manner of deadly weapons just like he remembered to execute whole groups without breaking a sweat.

This was the power of the DQ family, the fact he'd beaten them in Dressrosa was almost a miracle. The other executives were making a terror of themselves— the ground rippling under enemy feet, tossing marines to the ground where some of them writhed like insects in Trebol's glue traps. Pica was already rebuilding his shrunken body with stone from the fortifications on the island while Vergo intercepted the more powerful haki users among the marines.

Doffy of course, was doing what he did best, standing and laughing as his threads sowed chaos in the form of enemies appearing to fight one another— none knowing where the next attack would come from.

Law's crew were just as terrifying, too, Komurasaki watching Baby 5's back, her swordsmanship with shusui a terror to behold. And Bepo protected Law's flank, powerful and opportunistic. 

At the end, the commanders rallied for a last charge against them, which was met with enthusiasm. Almost too late however, it turned out to be a distraction for a sneak attack. In the flurry of combat Law heard someone behind him almost too late— and then a choking sound.

Law turned to find that Doflamingo was garrotting a huge marine who'd had the tip of his sword nearly between his shoulderblades only a moment before.

Doffy hovered over the battlefield, grinning. "Take it away, Corazon."

Law stared for a moment at the marine, whipping around with a fury in his eyes. 

"Thanks Doffy," he breathed for only a moment before he formed a glimmering green gamma knife in his fingers and hammered it home through the marine's heart.

The green fire flared through the man for a moment, the waves of energy liquifying him from the inside as Law held his hand to his chest before shoving him away to collapse in a bleeding heap. 

The Donquixote pirates were the only ones still breathing in the aftermath of the violence, and Doflamingo leaned down to sling his arm around Law's shoulders when all was said and done.

"You looked good out there, Corazon," he purred, smiling. "Did good, too."

"You weren't half bad yourself, Doffy." Law flashed a wicked grin up at him. "Feels good to have gotten a little exercise." 

Doffy chuckled. "I'll bet. It was fun to see you cut loose like that— on somebody else," he teased. "I'll be excited to see you face a real challenge with us."

He cracked his knuckles, looking out at the devastation. No doubt the rest of the family would collect the bodies, and the identifying marks they needed, and bring them back to Cross Guild for the payout.

"Probably after this Uta thing. Can't imagine that's gonna turn out to be much of a fight at the end of the day." 

"Brawl at an Uta concert?" Doffy laughed. "I sure fucking hope not. But that should be fun anyway."

Strings wrapped their way around Law's wrist and hauled him gently against Doflamingo's chest.

"Hey, Law." He saw himself reflected twice in Doffy's glittering lenses. "I missed you."

Law leaned up against him with a quiet chuckle. "...Few weeks ago I wouldn't have believed it but…I missed you too, Doffy." 

"I believe you, Corazon." Doffy chuckled and licked his thumb, wiping a spot of blood off of Law's face. Then he pulled him into an eager kiss.

Law kissed him deeply, melting into his arms as the remains of the battlefield calmed around them. 

His life had never quite gone according to plan. The loss of his sister, the death of his hometown, his attempted suicide, his life with the Donquixotes and his way Rosi took him away from them and sent him on a quest for revenge he fully expected to die right after.

Somehow, Doffy was at the center of so much of that— drawing him back in. Saving him, loving him.

Somehow, life had taken him right back to Doflamingo. Right back to where he seemed to belong. 

[springfallendeer]

Lethal Culinary Note: The Jester

@thycatfromhell while you may be disappointed, this is more or less how things are set up in the AU.

Ayala's Culinary Notes:

Before you read on, I must regretably to inform you that you will find nothing of real value here. There are no recipes. At best I could provide you with the theoretical recipes that I could make from the mishmash of body parts that makes up this horrific entity, but I would rather not put reckless ideas into anyone's head.

So I will simply do my best to describe this creature and what is known of it, in hopes that anyone who has yet to encounter it might walk away unscathed.

First thing to note.

The Jester cannot be killed. Not with shovels. Not with guns. Not with missile launchers. Not with any other weapon that you might find or create. If you attempt to fight one, it will kill you.

The Jester cannot be hidden from. If you are inside the building then it already knows where you are. Turning off your walkie will not save you. Turning off your flashlight will not save you. You can remain perfectly still and perfectly silent, and it will still find you once it has decided that it is out for blood.

You cannot lock yourself behind a door; it will simply break that door down to find you.

The closest that you have to a glimmer of hope is to find someplace high up off of the ground, where it cannot reach you. But unless there is someone monitoring you from the outside, prepared to rush in as a distraction or to teleport you out; you will die upon that perch.

No one knows what the Jester is or why it behaves the way that it does. Any attempts to study it have ended in nothing but casualties. Any attempts to communicate with it or befriend it have likewise, ended with nothing but casualties.

There was one a time where I foolishly believed that strange little box to be harmless. Cute and friendly, even, as I watched it follow around my anxious and lost crewmate.

I was more innocent then. Much less aware of the morbid and dark realities of my new duties as a freshly convicted criminal.

Like many before me, I was under the impression that the worst I would ever need to worry about was grabbing enough scrap to make quota.

But then beast began to wind itself up, and that eerie, distorted music began to play.

The terrified screams of my crewmate; my friend and companion; still haunt my dreams to this day. And I can still recall the feelings of confusion and amusement that I held onto as I watched this seemingly harmless creature terrify my friend to no end.

I can recall how those feelings abruptly transitioned into mortified shock when the song finished playing, and the beast showed its true face.

I can remember how I stood there, frozen in absolute terror, as my friend was ripped apart by... Eldritch abomination.

I watched every drop of blood that splattered across the nearby wall as his body was crushed between giant, humanoid jaws and thrashed around like a dogs toy.

I listened as his terrified screams abruptly gave way to a strained rasp, and then a gargle as he quickly choked on his own blood.

Each lethal clench of the Jester's teeth forced more air past his lips. He groaned and wheezed well after his death, all due to how his body was being chewed on by the thing that can come to claim his life.

Then it turned to me.

With a rush of adrenaline I turned and I ran. That thing followed after me all the while, somehow getting faster with each step as my body struggled to maintain a steady pace.

My heart nearly flew out of my chest when I lost my footing and fell flat upon the floor. The uneven texture of the metal grating left deep cuts on my arms and stomach. Cuts that have since healed and faded into pale, permanent reminders of the hell that I witnessed.

By stroke of dumb luck, I only happened be between the Jester and the next poor sap that it wanted. The beast ran overtop of me, further damaging my body but otherwise leaving me alive.

By then I was lost. I was terrified. My walkie had been damaged, and so I had no means of communicating with anyone who had not yet been taken out.

I had no means of communicating a dire need of being teleported. And I had no means of knowing if there was even anyone left alive who could teleport me to safety.

I heard more screams as I haphazardly stumbled about in search of somewhere to hide.

I heard the beast break down doors. I heard the heavy stomping of its feet as it made its way through the building at terrifying speed.

By some means of a miracle I found my way on top of the ledge above the apparatus. To this day I do not know how I managed to drag myself up to such a high place, yet alone how I did so with a broken wrist and multiple sprains.

It did not take long for the Jester to find me. And though it could not leave me, it refused to leave me be.

I could do nothing but watch as it stomped back and forth below me while gnashing its teeth. Teeth which had since become stained by all of the recent gore.

Scraps of my mauled teammates dangled from its maw.

It stared at me through empty eye sockets, completely transfixed on me, and I on it.

I have no doubt that I would have died had my last remaining crewmate not made their way back to the ship. The only reason that they knew I was still alive was because they could see the Jester wildly pacing in front of my motionless body.

For a few seconds, I fully believed that I had somehow died when I suddenly found myself back on the ship. And once I realized that I had been saved... Well. There is no need to describe how utterly broken that experienced left me. To this day, some part of me is still broken.

My only warnings to anyone that happens to read this, is to just avoid that beast at all costs.

At first sign of it, leave. If you happen to be alone and you hear the distant hum of that distorted song, turn back the way you came. Abandon anything that weighs you down.

Get the fuck out of the building and do not go back inside. There is nothing waiting for you there but death.

[airplanned]

Work in Progress Monday!

Presenting: The first scene of A Me for You spin off with Robin, who's trying her best not to be an unhinged, eldritch grief monster

Or: wait, wait! I think I have a plot/structure for this! (Which is funny, because it needs to come after the Nami spin off. Oh well!)

--

Three months after Marineford

Robin waits by the sloop, standing on the ruined dock facing a ruined town.  The smell of smoke still hangs in the air, and she  breathes through her mouth and ignores the images flashing through her mind.  Her hands ball into tight fists, because she doesn't allow them to shake.

She has always been good at keeping it together.

By the time the figure strides towards her, pausing just three steps onto the dock to tilt his head at her, she has the most perfect bored posture.

"Dracule Mihawk," she greets with dispassion.  This man could kill her, so she'll have to be ready to kill him first.  That would be unfortunate.  "My name is Nico Robin."

"Demon Child," he says.

"Yes."

"I've never heard of you."

The corners of her mouth twitch, something in her chest stuttering as it loosens.  "I'm looking for information regarding Roronoa Zoro."

He blinks gleaming gold eyes at her.  "Roronoa Zoro."

"He is first mate of the Strawhat Crew, and a swordsman of some renown."

He sighs as if the conversation is vexing, and in a bored voice says, "My understanding is that the Strawhat Crew went into hiding for their own safety.  Such deep hiding that even their own crewmates are unable to find them."  His eyebrow twitches.  "Or perhaps I've been misinformed."

"You have not."

"Then I wouldn't have the slightest idea."

"I know.  I'm not asking where he is.  I just want to know if he's alive and well."

His eyes narrow slightly.  "How would I know that?"

"There's a legend.  When you hold someone's life in your hands and show mercy, a debt is formed on a spiritual level.  You would feel the release of that debt upon his death."  (He would feel the ripping, the tearing, the blinding shock of pain--)

The story is nonsense.  There's no such legend, and if there was, even she wouldn't be desperate enough to believe it.

It's nonsense.  And Dracule Mihawk will recognize it as such, and with any luck, he will take it as the opportunity for the plausible deniability that it is.

Because Robin knows that Mihawk and her swordsman are soulmates, and Dracule Mihawk is the only person she knows who can tell her if Zoro is alive.

"That is absurd," he says.

"Perhaps."

He hums and lazily steps forward.  "I have felt no such release of his debt.  So by your logic, I would assume he is alive."

She holds herself back from sagging in relief.  Alive, alive, alive, alive.

"You want to know if he's doing well."  He's closer now, and getting closer.  "Roronoa Zoro is determined and loyal to a fault.  After being separated from his friends and watching his captain suffer such a bitter defeat while wrestling with the guilt that he failed to be there to help...No, I imagine he is not faring well at all."

A shudder runs through her.  Pain and regret and sympathy because she knows what Zoro feels.  It's a part of what she herself feels.

Mihawk comes even with her and keeps walking, passing her to head towards his sloop.  "But he is strong," he says.  "I'm sure he will recover and return to his usual, irksome self."

She hums in agreement, her eyes locked on the ruined town in front of her.

Then his footsteps pause.

He heaves a put upon sigh.

He does not turn around as he says, "I know I'll regret asking this.  But how many other Strawhat Pirates have you managed to track down?"

"One."  She looks over her shoulder and meets the corner of his eye.  "Our sharpshooter seems to be doing as well as could be expected.  Perhaps better than most.  It seems he didn't watch the broadcast."

"A blessing."

"Indeed."

He turns and easily hops aboard his small ship, untying the moor lines and tossing them away.  She offers a few quiet hands to push him on his way.

As he drifts off, he gives her one final look.  "My condolences, Nico Robin."  His sincerity sets something aching in her chest.  And he sounds sincere with his next words as well.  "Do not contact me again."

She bows her head in agreement, and he turns away.  She watches until his ship is nearly out of sight.

Then she allows herself a single moment.  She hugs herself as tightly as she can and heaves the deepest breath she can mange.

Zoro is alive.  Alive, alive, alive. 

This time, her family will survive.

[sadandcha0tic]

Exile; a short story by me

The branches whip across my face, my dress tearing as it catches. I run through the thick wood, trees towering above me in a sinister way. I begin to slow down as the forest seems to thin. I’m getting close to being out of here. 

Snap. 

I whip around, only to find a wide-eyed child holding a much too-large sword behind me. 

“Rowan! Mira!! I found someone!” they yell, looking up at me curiously. The child looks to be around 12 years-old and small. 

“Who are you?” They ask, “My name is Finley.”

“Hi, um… My name is-”

I’m unable to finish my sentence before something hits my head from behind. I slump to the ground, passed out. 

***

“-if she would just wake up, already…” someone grumbles. 

My eyes slowly open. Standing in front of me is an enchanting, young woman with shoulder-length auburn hair. She looks down at me with a puzzled yet intense facial expression, and, of course, she’s pointing a sword at me.

We seem to be in a small room with wooden floors and walls. That's when I realize the room was moving. We’re on a ship, and based on the people in the room with me, it's a pirate ship at that. I’m also tied up. Just my luck. 

Near the door is another, more annoyed-looking, young woman, this one has long braided brown hair and is slightly taller than the other one. She too has a sword, only hers is sheathed. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” The first one asks. 

“Why do you need to know?” I respond as she narrows her eyes at me. 

“Answer the question. Now.”

“Fine… My name is Blythe. I’m on the run, tryna get to the next kingdom over.”

The two women exchange looks with one another. “What are you thinking, Captain?” The second woman asks. Captain? She’s in charge? The first only turns away to face me once more. 

“I’m Rowan. This is my crewmate, Mira, she's the one who knocked you out. The child you met earlier was Finley.” 

“Nice to know… but why are you telling me all this?”

“We require… some assistance,” she says, putting her sword away. “You see, we aren't permitted to enter the town we’re coming up on and we’re running low on supplies. If you go into town with one of us and help to gather supplies, we will take you to your destination.”

I pause. Should I trust them? If I say no they’ll probably kill me. Might as well get something out of this. 

“Ok… but I’ll need a list… and money”

She grins at me and signals for the other woman, Mira, to untie me. 

Standing now, I look at Rowan, she motions for me to follow her out of the room onto the ship's deck. 

Suddenly I become self-conscious about my torn dress, and how my face is likely covered in dirt. She leads me across the deck to another room, this one is slightly larger with a bed and a desk. On the bed lies a new-looking pale green dress and black cloak. 

“I noticed your dress was torn…” Rowan says, looking at me over her shoulder and gesturing to the clothes on the bed, her expression unreadable. 

“Thank you…” I respond as she leaves the room so I can get dressed. 

After she leaves I feel as if I can breath for the first time in weeks. I need a break. 

2 WEEKS LATER:

As I walk in, she looks up from her work, and I hear her breath catch. Which, of course, makes my heart beat a million times faster. She walks around the table and up to me. 

“You look… good,” she says, clearing her throat. I attempt, and fail, at suppressing the smile growing on my face. She smiles back at me, and grabs my hand, walking out the door. 

“We’re here.” She pulls me to look over in the direction of a large island, smiling back at me, as my heart rate increases once more, but this time for multiple reasons. 

***

“Well, that was exhausting,” we just walked through the whole market and were only able to obtain a bag of apples and a few curious looks. Despite that, Rowan smiles at me, amused, but her smile soon fades as she looks over my shoulder at something. I turn, curious, only to find a royal guard asking questions of a woman at one of the market stands.

Oh no. 

Before I can think I grab Rowan’s hand and our supplies and make my way back towards the boat. 

“What's wrong?” she asks. 

“I have to get out of here,” I say, looking at her urgently. 

She nods as she leads me toward the woods. 

“We can hide here for a bit, Mira and the others took the boat to a cave after we left, so we wouldn’t get found and they won’t be back for another hour.”

“Ok.” 

And that's when a hand clamps down on my shoulder. My eyes widen at the same time as Rowan’s as she looks over my shoulder at the royal guard who is smiling sinisterly above me. 

***

“Rowan!!” I gasp, sitting up, suddenly awake. I look around me to find I’m back in the dungeon. 

“How long have I been here?”

The guard posted outside my door looks at me and sighs. No answer. 

Bang.

What was that… I make eye contact with the guard as she runs off. 

Before I know what's happening Rowan’s standing in front of me, pulling me out of my cell. I'm so disoriented she has to practically carry me. 

“Wait… what's going on?” I ask, forcing her to stop. 

“We’re getting you out of here,” she replies, winking at me. 

I can’t take it anymore and I pull her face into my hands and kiss her, tears running down my face. I know it's already too late. When I pull away, she sees the sword stabbed through my back, and the last thing I see is her beautiful face, wide-eyed and crying.

word count: 1018

[xvi-the-tower]

In All My Dreams I Drown

In which @dreams-of-the-arcana's Tikos tries to get Jasmine to get some sleep. Part 1 of Deep Silent Complete

Sex mention, nightmares of drowning, 1100 words

Jasmine collapsed onto the bed, her breathing heavy. Sweat plastered strands of hair to her face and neck. Her weary, sore body sank into the plush bedding. Even if she hadn't already been running on the shadow of fumes, the enthusiasm of their love making would have completely exhausted her.

Tikos took a moment to admire his work, his own body glistening from exertion, as he caught his breath. Seeing how tired she was, he couldn't help but grin. As much as he'd enjoyed himself, he'd had an ulterior motive. Without further delay, he fetched a damp towel and a glass of water for each of them.

Jasmine sat up long enough to drain her glass before plopping back onto the mattress. Tikos set to cleaning her up. Her eyes began to flutter shut to the feeling of the towel on her skin. He'd used magic to warm the water, and it felt like heaven. The soft tones of his voice filled her ears as he murmured his praise of her, caressing her with words in his native tongue. After so long together, those words were no longer foreign to her, and she could appreciate them for more than just how beautiful they sounded in his voice.

When it seemed she was on the precipice of sleep, Tikos crossed over to the chest of drawers to fetch her nightclothes. Though it took all of what little energy she had left, Jasmine sat up with a groan, determined not to fall asleep.

"Hey now! You'd better be sitting up so I can put this on you, миленик." Tikos gently chastised her as he crossed back over, holding her softest nightgown. When Jasmine stood, he put a hand on her shoulder to urge her back onto the bed.

She sat back down, but mumbled in protest, "I have to put Jason to bed."

"You don't have to worry about him tonight. Penelope agreed to put him to bed." He tapped her arm, instructing her to lift both.

"Why would she do that? Did you ask?" As she spoke, she lifted her arms, allowing him to slip the nightgown over her head. Her speech was somewhat slurred from sleepiness.

"Aye, I did. So I can make sure you get some sleep."

Jasmine shook her head. "I'll sleep when we reach Macawi Port."

"That's still days away. You'll be hallucinating by then if you don't get yourself killed first."

She stood again, eyes narrowed, and voice raised. "The fuck do you mean, 'get myself killed?'"

Tikos stood his ground. "A ship's a dangerous place for someone who doesn't have their wits about them. How many crewmates have you seen injured or killed from falls or an enemy sword because they were drunk or sleep deprived?"

"They were new. I can do this shit in my sleep."

"Maybe, but not on two days without sleep."

"I'll prove it to you."

She tried to walk past him, but was stopped by his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't rough, but it was firm. "I'm not going to let you put yourself in danger. You're not leaving this room until you get some sleep."

Jasmine was taken aback. He had never used his captain voice on her outside of sex. Her look of surprise quickly shifted to one of frustrated defiance as she jerked her shoulder away from him. "You don't understand, Kats!" Her tone was low, quiet.

Tikos sighed in frustration as he rubbed a hand over his face. She'd had nightmares as long as they'd been together, as had he. They'd always found comfort in each other. But something was different this time. "You're right," he admitted. "I don't understand what about these nightmares is different than usual."

Running a hand through her hair, she began to pace over a space of a few feet. Exhaustion was settling into her bones, and with it fear of the nightmares that had plagued her the last few nights she had slept. "I...I keep drowning."

Tikos' tone softened. "миленик. Every sailor has nightmares about drowning."

She rounded on him. "Not gillies!" she shouted. "We're not supposed to dream of drowning, Zotikos! A drowning dream is a bad omen for my kind." Here was the root of it. Fear was evident in her face and the tremble of her voice. He reached out to place comforting hands on her upper arms. As he looked into her eyes, they began to glisten. In their ten years together, he had only seen her this frightened during her pregnancy. Normally she revelled in the dangerous nature of their lifestyle. Yet this nightmare had brought that danger into a terrifying new light. "It's more than a dream, Tikos. Something bad is going to happen. What if I lose you? Or Jason? What if this means--"

"We're not going anywhere," he interrupted gently. His gaze was soft, and he offered her a reassuring smile. "Nothing's going to happen to our family on my watch, darlin'. I promise you that."

She wanted to believe him. Part of her did. Part of her believed he was capable of anything and everything through sheer force of will. He could take any ship in the ocean he wanted, and have any treasure. He'd gotten her to trust again, love again, and delivered on every promise he'd ever made her. If he was telling her he could defy a bad omen and keep their family safe, who was she to doubt?

"What if you can't stop it?"

"Have I ever made you a promise I couldn't keep? Besides, now that I know, I can be on the lookout for any threat."

Tikos pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his cheek on the top of her head. His arms felt safe, and her panic gradually died down, giving way to her exhaustion. When he felt her weight shift such that he was basically holding her up, he slowly walked her back over to the bed and eased them both onto it, under the blankets. Already dozing, she tucked in against him with his arm around her.

After a moment of quiet, he asked, "Since when do you call me 'Zotikos?'"

"It's your name, isn't it?" she mumbled.

His soft chuckle was the last thing she heard before drifting off.

This dream began the same as the other. The first thing she was aware of was falling. Falling past the side of Charybdis' Descent before being met with the cold rush of the waves. She tried to take a breath, but couldn't. Panic set in as she sank further and further down, watching the ship grow more distant.

Then a great presence found her, engulfed her, and she drew a breath.

[oceanoecielo]

While Jon found the domain to be dizzyingly huge, as he ought to have, Simon felt confined by it, although he was trying and largely succeeding at concealing most of his misery over it.  He knew exactly where the boundaries were, too far away for most people to stumble on any way other than chance, but oppressively close for his personal comfort.  He could not step outside of them, and although his cage was incomprehensibly large for most, it was the most confinement he had faced in four hundred years.  Thankfully, there was this penthouse apartment at the top of a high-rise, far enough on the other side of the domain that it allowed for some peace from Junior’s constant thud-thudding.  At least, Elias gave him that much, or maybe it was Jon.

Simon put two martini glasses in the freezer to chill, two because he thought the Archivist might change his mind.  He doubted they would be cold enough by the time he got done with his mixing, but some was better than none at all.  “Oh, Martin Shmartin,” he said, waving his hand as he bent under the bar for the gin (which he preferred to vodka for its additional kick) and a shaker.  “He’s invited to martini hour, too, if he likes, if he ever stops being so sour and dreadful.  I think you could both stand to unwind a little, but seeing has you’re the only one here, I guess you’ll just have to do it doubly in his stead.  I tried to get him to have some fun with me back in the day, and how awful he was!”  If Martin was here, it would put a complete damper on the mostly capital time he and Jon were having.

That was, until the questions about Elias came, and Simon clanged the bottle of gin down on the counter, mentally uninviting Martin from martini hour.  He longed to go back to the questions about his humanity, or lack thereof, about killing and torture and evil and malice, not what he held in his heart for Elias, not his Jonah.  He grinned icily at the Archivist, leagues less cheery than he was prior, perhaps more caustic than anyone other than Peter Lukas had ever seen him, and said, “Now you’re picking at wounds.  I should have expected it, though.”  He chuckled, deep and bitter, nothing like his usual tittering giggles.  “Poisonous mindset or no, it’s you, or it’s me, isn’t it?”

He could feel the eyes needling up and down his skin, pulling whatever was in the back of his mind out through his sockets.  It rattled him, but there was a vaguely comforting familiarity about all of it, and he would rather have this than the chilling mists Peter used to drag it out of him a while back.

Years ago, Simon had damn near capsized the Tundra and locked Peter and his entire crew at the bottom of the sea.  Gargantuan waves of icy, pitch black water thrashed against the sides of the ship while Simon, uncharacteristically taciturn, glared daggers at the other man, who wore the faintest wisp of a smile beneath his thick, white mustache.  Over the decades, he had made a habit of annoying Peter because the Lonely was a large vacuous space, and navigating such places was Simon’s entire wheelhouse, which meant he could always find the black sheep of the Lukas family, no matter how much he tried to hide.  The Lonely and the Vast also contained enough thematic overlap that it was not difficult to poach Peter’s crewmates right out from under his nose.

However, on that day, he had such excellent revenge for all the annoyances Simon had plagued him with.  You love him, don’t you, spoken like the strict fact it was.  You love him, and you’re upset that he chose Barnabas, then Mordechai.  Then me.  Three Lonely men, who all left Jonah Lonely, and Simon had always been there to warm his bed when they went away for prolonged stretches.  You’re jealous; you were never impor—  Here, Peter was cut off, as Simon gripped the Tundra’s railing until his knuckles turned white and caused such a swell under the bow that the captain tumbled flat onto his back.  But such ire out of Simon was rare, and Peter was not about to stop picking until that wound was as raw as he could get it.  The unfortunate thing about the Vast-Lonely overlap was that it made Simon just as susceptible to Peter as the other way around.

You believe you would treat him better than we do, that you deserve him more.  Simon wanted to say that he would and he did, but what would have been the point of it?  Regardless of those plain facts, he was not the one who could keep Jonah’s attention.  That’s the real reason you can’t leave me alone.  I have what you want, and it agonizes you.

Shut up! Simon snapped as a dark wave deluged the starboard side.

Back in the present, he gathered up the rest of the martini things and started pouring gin into the jigger to measure five ounces for his two martinis.  It kept him from having to look Jon in the face—not that it mattered because the eyes were working all the same.  “I love…d… him,” Simon began, trying to tailor the confession as well as the Eye would let him.  The benefit of being around Jonah for so many centuries was that he was slightly more resistant to the tricks, and he could at least play at his feelings being in the past for a second.  “I know that doesn’t mesh with what I said about my humanity moments ago, but even the best of us make mistakes.”  He laughed again, trying to make it sound lighter, but what came out of him was so dreadfully mournful that he hardly recognized the sound as coming from himself.

“He was my best friend for the better part of two centuries, although he never entertained the same fancy for me as I had for him.  We did, however, fall into bed together many times, which I’m sure you didn’t care to know.”  Dredging up details, however vague, about your boss’s sex life had to be awkward, and the absurd nature of the present situation made Simon chortle much more naturally.  “But I’m afraid you don’t get a choice, either.  Pardon me—”

He turned to retrieve the martini glasses from the freezer and rattled the contents of his shaker around, the clanging of ice against metal making it difficult to speak.  But he had to continue and could feel the words welling up in his chest and throat for all ten seconds he was working.  Once he started straining the contents of the shaker into the glasses, he was able carry on.

“The portraits of every head of the Institute that were hanging in the hall by his office… they were all done by me, and they weren’t the only ones I did, either.  I adored him and never tired of filling out his features.  My, I’m getting on some awful tangents, aren’t I…” he mused.  He skipped ahead, sure that the Eye would gorge itself on him for the next eternity if he so let  it.

“Well, anyway, he changed the most when he became James Wright, and that was when I started to feel the widening rift between us.  Then, Elias Bouchard happened, and it became abundantly apparent that I was… an afterthought to him, which I hated being, so I resolved to leave him be for the most part, and I doubt he much noticed.  I sought solace in the fact that my money kept the Institute afloat and that if I pulled out, the entire thing would collapse on his head, and then he would see how… valuable I was.  I didn’t do it, though—the one man I could never bring myself to ruin.”  His eyebrows raised, and he smiled good-naturedly at Jon again.  “What a fine choice I made there, isn’t it!”  The Archivist was not secretive about how he felt about Elias, and Simon thought they might have a little fun about it.

He retrieved some olives and toothpicks and began crafting his skewers for the martinis, putting three olives on each.  “Did I help him with whatever’s going on out there?  No.  The most I did for him by the end was keep his lights on.  I wanted a Vast-shaped apocalypse more than anything, and I was working towards it, but the technology was still centuries out, and I knew I would most likely get stuck in someone else’s.  It might as well be this one.”  The feeling of eyes receded somewhat—not entirely; it never did in this new world—and the tension Simon didn’t realize he was carrying dropped off his shoulders, and he found himself in a much more jocular mood.  “At least, this one gives me a view!”

He took up his martini and slid Jon the other one.  “Statement ends—cheers!”

an incredible sprawl lay before them both , from over the railing of the balcony there was nothing to be seen . or , everything ? a dizzying horizon that held such an immense vastness it was hard to comprehend . the view did not end and for a moment the archivist was almost hypnotized by it . a feeling of dread formed in the pit of his stomach , that curdled and curled about the base of his spine . never had heights intimidated jon , save for now . he was never unawares , despite his own growing power how strong / cruel the other entities could be . how brutally powerful each were , in their own right . simon fairchild was no different . despite all trepidation , the archivist was determined to suss out the answer to this important ( to him ) question .

there was an electricity about the man , a drawing energy that was both exhilarating and distressing . the following silence was not unwelcome , in that moment eyes close and a slow steadying breath was taken . calling forth a serenity that he had yet to find , mind reeling - racing with everything that was happening . it was all so much to process and here he was , having a disfigured heart to heart with another monster . white knuckled grip to the balcony rail itself the other spoke and eyes open once more , attention turned fully to simon as the statement began . mouth nearly watered in anticipation . a story of trauma , though of a different kind , one from a different point of view , the predator not the prey . how interesting !

the answer of course , was simple . a grimace as the other straightened , a look of such unrepentant frivolity was evident that it had his stomach twist violently so . " it's .. it wasn't what i wanted to hear , no . " came the reply , tongue felt numb as tone lowered . " but i wasn't , i'm not exactly sure what i thought you were going to say . what .. " a flinch at his own wording . " …ah , advice i was looking for . " wasn't quite correct but he was unsure how else to describe what he was trying to accomplish , he supposed . " i don't know why i'm here .. " he lied . two options were readily available , the first route was being taken . overthrow elias and his constant plotting or failing that succumb to this horrific destiny and become this new almost-god . jon would fight for humanity , would fight for martin and the others however there was something buried deep , something the entity had taken and expounded upon - curiosity . a deeply rooted need for answers , to devour information to question everything . so why not this ? this curious nature had brought forth the question , how to survive as a servant . how to rid himself of humanity if need be . that route was a path not to be taken , of course . but ..

chin raised , cautious as the other approached and eyes watch . a finger touches to his chest . me or them . me or them . a compelling argument , and why not him ? never had he been special with anything in life , to anyone in particular . or anything until now . " that's a poisonous line of thinking . " came the reply , no judgement , just considering out loud . but there was no scathing retort otherwise , that line of thinking was terrifyingly logical . silence , from the archivist for now .

the laugh was startling , though it shouldn't have been . charming was inadequate to describe simon fairchild , how carefree he was ! how detached . " i uh .. " tongue rolled out to wet lower lip , brows furrowed , " .. don't really drink much . " however despite his words he did in fact follow simon inside . " and i don't think martin would appreciate me being here . " words spoken low beneath breath before exhaling soft chuckle . " i was going to ask him to join me but then thought better of it . " there was a the barest hint of a smile upon thin lips before it fell away . " i don't even know why i came , to be honest . to reason with you ? to argue ? you've told me your reasoning , such lack of humanity .. " teeth grit for a moment and there was a dulled feeling of anger on behalf of the worlds population . eyes now focused solely on the other , staring . as though something sharp was on the edge of his tongue , wanting to speak it aloud but thinking better of it for now . another question then , hunger not yet sated for more information .

" who are you to elias ? have you been helping him this entire time ? why allow all of this to happen under the eye ? why not help the vast in its takeover ? in ending the world ? "

[storiesforallfandoms]

thought i lost you ~ captain jack sparrow;pirates of the caribbean

word count: 1310

request?: yes!

“Hey, I have a request for Jack Sparrow if you want to do it. Something along the lines of the reader getting really hurt in a fight or something, and it was kind of Jack's fault, so he feels immensely guilty about it. And Jack was really scared because he thought he might lose her. Then when the reader wakes up, Jack can't hold his tears because he never felt like that before, so she comforts him and eases his worries and maybe he confesses his true feelings for her and they cuddle?”

description: when she is nearly fatally injured during a fight, jack realizes he may never get the chance to confess his feelings again

pairing: jack sparrow x female!reader

warnings: swearing, violence

masterlist (one, two)

It was a glorious fight. (Y/N) was holding up well on her own against Davy Jones’ men as Jack fought the man himself. She was moving so quickly and seamlessly that it was hard for Jones’ men to even pinpoint where she was before she attacked.

Jack had gotten away from Jones for long enough to look at (Y/N). She was pulling her sword from another of the henchmen. She locked eyes with Jack and smiled. He returned it for a brief moment before his face fell and his eyes widened.

“(Y/N), look out!”

Before she could react, she was stabbed from behind by one of Jones’ men. Her eyes went wide as she fell to her knees. Jack was stunned at first, but was spurred into action when the man raised his sword again. He was quick to close the gap between them, swinging his own sword to stop (Y/N)’s attacker.

There was no time to check on her. Her clothes were already stained with blood and they had to get back to the ship. Jack picked her up carefully and raced for the Black Pearl, Davy Jones’ voice following him as he got further and further away.

His crew were waiting when he got back. Gibbs helped him to gently get (Y/N) onto the ship. Her eyes were glossing over and her breathing was slowing by the second. Jack looked around at the faces of the men who were surrounding them, frantically searching for someone.

“Tia!” he called, getting to his feet and approaching the former sea Goddess. “Tia, please, you have to help her. She was stabbed, she’s lost a lot of blood.”

Tia glanced at (Y/N) over Jack’s shoulder. “I’m not a miracle worker, Jack.”

“Please, just try,” he begged. “That’s all I ask for. Please?”

Tia sighed and looked at the injured girl again. She took a moment to consider before nodding to the two nearest crew members. “Take her below deck. I’ll need to be absolutely alone, that includes you Jack.”

The captain nodded, although knowing he couldn’t be with (Y/N) was killing him. He watched as his two crewmates carried (Y/N) down with Tia following behind them. The two men were gone for just a moment before reappearing. Jack continued to watch the door, wanting nothing more than to join them and be with (Y/N).

“Jack,” Gibbs said. “Jack, we have to go. It won’t be long until Davy Jones catches up to us.”

“Right,” Jack said, snapping out of his daze. “Right. Raise the sails!”

He used the escape as a way to take his mind off of what had happened. But it hadn’t taken long for them to flee the island, and soon, Jack was back to wondering what was happening below deck.

He was pacing when the door opened and Tia emerged. Jack looked at her, anxiously awaiting the news he was about to receive.

Tia smiled at him. “Turns out I am a miracle worker.

~~~~~~

Tia had put a spell on (Y/N) to make her sleep for about a day so she could recover. Jack was there when she woke up, apologizing profoundly for her near fatal injury.

“You have no reason to be sorry, Jack,” she assured him.

“You were out there because of me. I should’ve handled it on my own - ”

“I never would’ve let you,” she cut him off. “That would’ve been way too dangerous to face on your own. Even if you hadn’t let me go, I would’ve tried anyways. Imagine how much worst it could’ve been if you hadn’t known I was out there.”

Without thinking, Jack took her hand in his and held it tightly. He lowered his head to hide his tears, but his shaking body gave him away. With her free hand, (Y/N) cupped Jack’s face and made him look at her.

“Jack,” she said, her voice soft.

“Sorry,” he said.

“No, don’t be sorry. I’ve just never seen you cry before.”

“I was so scared. I thought I had lost you.”

She wiped a tear with her thumb. “I didn’t know you cared this much.”

“Of course I do, (Y/N). I care so deeply for you, I always have. It’s because I - ”

He caught himself then. Jack knew he had already said too much and was considering ways to get out of the situation, but he also considered the possibility of finally telling her. The feelings he had been harboring for so long, he could finally just let them out. There was always the possibility of a negative reaction, but it was better than just keeping this to himself for any longer, wasn’t it?

(Y/N) tilted her head to try and look into Jack’s wandering eyes. “It’s because...what?”

Jack sighed and squeezed her hand lightly. “It’s because I have feelings for you, (Y/N). Feelings that are stronger than just a captain and his crewmate, and even stronger than just two friends. I...I have romantic feelings for you, and I have ever since we first met.”

(Y/N) was stunned into silence. After her near death experience the day before, she was sure there was nothing that could top that shocking moment. And yet here she was, speechless because of what Jack had just confessed to her.

The longer she was silent, the more worried Jack became. Maybe it was wrong of him to admit his feelings. If (Y/N) didn’t feel the same way and knowing he did made her feel uncomfortable, she may want to leave the Black Pearl. It could cause an awkward tension throughout the ship since there was no land for possibly miles.

When (Y/N) finally spoke again, her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

“What took you so long?”

Jack looked at her, not his turn to be surprised. “W-What?”

(Y/N) smiled, bringing Jack’s hand to her lips and lightly pressing a kiss against his knuckles.

“I have romantic feelings for you too, Jack. I have for so long. I thought it was inappropriate to have these feelings so I never told you.”

A laugh escaped from Jack’s lips. “How could we both be this clueless?”

“We may be smart, but we’re also pretty stupid?”

Jack chuckled again, or maybe he was still laughing from before. He truly couldn’t tell at that point. He leaned forward, wanting to kiss her, but stopped short. He realized she hadn’t exactly giving him permission for anything like that.

(Y/N) smiled and closed the gap between them, gently pressing her lips against his. The kiss felt right, like it was meant to happen. Jack cupped (Y/N)’s face gently, running his fingers over her soft skin. He didn’t want to ever let go of her. He wanted to keep her close, to keep her safe. He could never risk losing her again.

(Y/N) pulled away from the kiss to suck in a breath of pain.

“Did I hurt you?” Jack asked.

(Y/N) smiled and shook her head. “No, I just moved too suddenly. The wound may be fixed but it’s not completely healed. Tia said it could be another few days before I’m mobile again, and another while still before I’m back to normal.”

“She did the best she could,” Jack said. “I owe her the world for saving you.”

(Y/N)’s fingers lightly brushed over Jack’s face, mirroring his earlier movements. “I owe you the world for saving me. If you hadn’t been there, or hadn’t been so quick, I would’ve been done for.”

“I don’t need the world,” he told her, kissing her hand, “but if you want to repay me, you can start by letting me call you mine.”

“Oh, my captain,” (Y/N) said. “I’ve always been yours.”

[awindylife-writes]

Sick

Relationships: 10th Doctor x reader (Not an established relationship)

Summary: the Doctor and you find yourselves on a spaceship in desparate need of repair and you are determined to help the crew (Kaisa, Lincoln and Bressa), but then the ship also gets highjacked. And on top of that, you fall sick.

Warnings: you're in mortal danger but that's it

You were standing by the big metal desk in the middle of the room, reading the numbers to Kaisa so he could type them in.

The digits kept swimming in your vision. They were blurry, everything was blurry, but they also kept moving. And when did it get so hot? You wiped the sweat from your forehead while trying to breathe deeply. You knew that if you looked up from the pad, the room would be spinning. The worst part was the tiredness. It coiled through your limbs and made them so heavy you could hardly move them. The effort to keep connecting letters and sounds, keep connecting thoughts hurt.

You closed your eyes for a second and the ship tilted so far you lost your balance. You stumbled back, eyes flying open and arms trying to reach out for something to hold onto.

Suddenly there were strong hands on your shoulder and the small of your back, steadying you. You looked up and recognized the dark orange skin and curly brown hair that was greying at the edges. Kaisa had caught you.

"Are you alright?" his gruff voice came to you.

"Yeah, yeah l'm okay." That sounded weak even to your own ears. "The ship just tilted."

"The ship's fine, love," he answered in confusion. You could see furrowed eyebrows, and then his dark golden eyes. You couldn't make out the wrinkles around them, or the lines on his forehead. Everything was blurry.

He put one hand around you to hold you up, then felt your forehead with the other. It was blessedly cold and you leaned into it with a sigh. "I think humans aren't supposed to be this hot," his worried voice came then.

You could hear Lincoln and Bressa turn around and step closer. You would have cracked a joke about drinks first if you weren't about to ask to sit down from exhastion. But you all had a job to do.

"I'm okay," you tried to reassure him. "Let's just get back to-" As you stepped away from Kaisa to shake his hands off, the ground rushed up and you barely caught yourself on the table. His arms were back, supporting you, before you could fall further. Shit.

"You're sick," Kaisa confirmed with a voice full of worry. He gently pulled you from the table and towards the wall. "Here, sit down," he told you softly and manouvered you to a stack of crates. He helped you sit on one and you rested your head on the taller pile.

"Thanks," you breathed gratefully and closed your eyes.This is nice.

On the other side of the room you could just hear Bressa order Lincoln, "Go get the Doctor. Tell him y/n's sick." Her voice was grave.

~

The Doctor had just recalibrated the fiberlinks of the navicomputer and was well on his way of taking apart the integral protonic bond when Lincoln reached him. The Doctor didn't even pull his head out of the ship's innards, much less stood up. "What is it?" He didn't have time for this.

"Your friend," the young man's distressed voice came. "She's sick."

That made worry explode in his chest. Ice spread through his veins as he hurriedly pulled himself out of the wiring. He hit his head on the way but that didn't matter, not when y/n was-

"What did you say?" the Doctor demanded in a low voice, eyes scanning the Tirellian crewmate.

"Y/n is sick." The Doctor marked every blink, every twitch, every line. He did not like the worried frown on Lincoln's face. He had gotten his answer.

The Doctor put the sonic back in his inner pocket and demanded, "Where is she?", voice forcibly calm but unrelenting. He picked up his coat as the young man turned to show the way, and off they went.

~

When your eyes were closed, you could almost pretend you were fine, but the fever, the heat in your skin was killing you. The box on your cheek and forehead had warmed up and provided no more relief.

You could feel even the darkness around you spin if you tried to think.

~

The Doctor ran into the room after Lincoln, trench coat billowing around him.

"Where is she?" he demanded in worry with his gaze searching the room.

"Over here." Kaisa stood up from behind the large metal table and pointed at the stack of crates beside the wall. He stepped back towards the others as the Doctor came to kneel before you with his coat scraping the floor. His hands hovered just inches above your skin.

"Y/n," he breathed quietly while looking you over. His hand settled on your arm. Scarlet cheeks, sweat - fever, eyes closed, leaning on the crate - exhausti-

You tiredly opened your eyes but you didn't lift your head. "Doct'r." The regret was already in your voice. "'M sorry. I should've-" Should have known the signs, should have slept more, should have eaten-

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he murmured softly, shaking his head. He rubbed your arm, his expression gentle and reassuring.

He took your hand and found your pulse point, which made butterflies flutter in your stomack despite the sickness. Then he lifted his other hand to your cheek. It was cold so you leaned into it, your eyes closing in content. You breathed deeply but it seemed like there was never enough air.

"You've definitely got a fever, about 39 degrees," he continued in that same soft tone. "And your heart is speeding up. How're you feeling?"

"Evr'thin's spinnin'," you told him tiredly, words a bit slurred. You tried to remember, but the things you were trying to describe made it hard to do that. "Couldn't stand up, Kaisa caught me. Couldn'read anymore, evr'thing was blurry'n moving. My head hurts, my eyes hurt, ever'thing hurts. An'l'm tired," you sighed. "I wanna go t'sleep."

"You will, l promise you will, but you need medicine first," he told you gently yet firmly. "It's the virus Tem, from Polon. We were there about four days ago, it's quite common for the planet, but it's dangerous." His brown eyes were full of worry. "If it's left untreated, as yours was, it can be deadly." He left the sentence hang in the silence after it.

You tried to shake your head but the motion caused more pain and you stopped. "So l'll get the meds and ll'l be fine," you told him tiredly. It didn't seem like much of a problem. You faced death on a daily basis, so what was a little virus?

"What do we do?" Kaisa stepped closer and looked down at the two of you, eyebrows furrowed in worry and hands crossed in front of his chest.

The Doctor moved closer and took you by the shoulders. "C'm on." He smiled encouragingly as he gently helped you stand up. You didn't like it, but the solution to this situation probably required moving.

You leaned against him and put your head on his shoulder as he helped you stay upright. The spinning did not help your stomack.

"Polonians have a vaccine, but it's far too late for that. You though, you three come from Kristella, is that right?" the Doctor looked around the room.

"Yeah," Kaisa nodded.

"So you receaved the whole med package there, including the VC five-six-o-nine."

"Yes."

"Good," he nodded, "bless the Kristellan med care. Your immune system knows the virus so you're not in danger. But you," he looked down at you, gritting his teeth, "are."

Well, that was a bit obvious.

He looked back up at Kaisa. "I want you to get her to the med bay. Give her Triskel two point three with a lot of water, she needs to stay hydrated, and then two shots of Amino when that's down, got it?"

"Yes," the large sailor nodded and stepped closer to take you. "And don't 'Got it' me, young man."

The Doctor opened his mouth to explain the whole Time Lord age thing when-

"I don't wanna go," you mumbled into his chest, pressing yourself closer. The room was spinning, you couldn't see well and you could barely stand. The thought of leaving him (he meant safe and good and you needed him) on this ship where anything could happen to you or him (who would look after him if not you?) made you want to sob.

He pulled away enough to look at you but still hold you. His eyes were soft. "I know," he told you gently and then frowned at the thought of letting you go, "l don't like this either." Every instinct in him flared against leaving you while you were sick and in need of him. He was Gallifreyan, and he protected what was his, even if you didn't know. "But you need medicine, and they need help rewiring the ship," he put it plainly. "I have to stay, and you have to go."

You nodded even though it hurt. He pulled you closer and for a moment, you just held each other.

"Stay safe," you said into his shoulder, almost an order. "Not a hair out of place, you hear me?"

You could feel him smile at the familiar tone. "Yes, ma'am."

It was time to go. You slowly let go of the Doctor as Kaisa came closer. He slung a hand around your waist while you put yours around his shoulders. It worked well, you could stay upright and move at the same time.

Then the whole ship shook like it was being torn apart and you were thrown against the table while Lincoln yelled in surprise. The Doctor and Kaisa kept you stable and unharmed between them, but the room looked like it had survived an earthquake.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor was franctically looking you over for injuries.

"What the hell was that?" demanded Bressa.

~

Kaisa didn't know what to do. You and him were locked in one of the main storage rooms, and they hadn't even let you get medicine. The large Risonians, two out of six who had highjacked the ship, simply came into the med bay and dragged you out before he could find anything to help you. You hadn't even gotten water.

All he could do was put his jacket under your head when you couldn't sit up anymore and hold your hand as you slipped into a restless sleep.

Then he noticed the computer log in the corner behind the crates. He could rewire it, send an altering pulse through the system... He looked at you as your head turned from one side to the other as you gasped for breath, mumbling nonsense in your sleep. Your fever was rising.

"Right then, love. I'm going to get help."

~

When the Doctor noticed Kaisa's message beeping under the log, he'd been momentarily confused. He'd made it very clear to the Risonians that you needed medicine and that he would do anything to make sure you got it, so why would they-

A second later, a pair of the hijacking crew came marching into the room with guns drawn. The Commander was as shocked as him when two of her people turned against her.

This was bad.

~

The Doctor walked into the storage room with his hands behind his head, with Bressa and Lincoln behind him. What remained of the Risonian crew had been locked into a separate room, to keep you all separated. His eyes immediately scanned the space for you.

When he turned the corner behind a high stack of crates, his hearts lurched. You were unconscious, lying on the floor with Kaisa holding your hand.

The Doctor was by your side in a second. Your skin was pale, but your cheeks were scarlet and your forehead glistened with sweat. You were mumbling in your sleep, your breaths laboured. Your head was turning restlessly in the throes of a fever dream. He took your warm hand and held it tightly.

"She was asking for you," Kaisa told him softly, eyes still trained on your face.

"What?" The Doctor's gaze flew to the larger man in confusion.

Kaisa looked up at him, "She was asking for you." He searched his eyes, for what, the Doctor didn't know. "Even after she couldn't answer me anymore, she kept asking for you in her sleep."

The Doctor felt like a hand had squeezed his hearts. It happened again, he did it again, you were in danger and it was his fault. He looked down at your closed eyes and scarlet cheeks. You were helpless, you needed him, and he couldn't do anything.

He brought your hand to his cheek and held it there with his palm as he closed his eyes. He needed you to live, he needed you to be alright. You had to be.

"Doct'r," your voice was barely a whisper.

His eyes flew open and he stared down at your still sleeping form. You turned your head to the side and, "Doct'r," again his name.

It lit a blazing fire in his chest. That was it. That was it, he was getting you out. He was getting all of you out because that was what he was going to do and the universe would bloody listen. He was the Doctor, and you were his. He was not losing you, not ever.

They'd taken the sonic but he was, for all intents and purposes, in a supply closet. Time to find out exactly which supplies he had.